Over the last several years, the topic of immigration has gained increased attention from politicians, policymakers, and the media. This attention has centered on the prevalence of undocumented immigrants entering and residing within the United States, concern over increasing crime rates involving undocumented immigrants, and the appropriateness of the various policies aimed at controlling the influx of undocumented immigration into the country. In addition, the recent wave of immigration from Latin America has led to a renewed public outcry and overall concerns regarding the relationship between immigration, crime and gang involvement, and the safety of the American public.
Lidia Nuño’s research will provide a more objective, reality-based, and certainly more defensible way to determine what problems exist and the decisions needed to address those problems. To date, there is no empirical research that demonstrates that individuals with different immigration status (undocumented vs. legal residents vs. native born U.S. citizens) are more (or less) likely to engage in crime and/or victimization, or that that undocumented immigrants are more likely to join gangs in general, or have affiliations to MS13 specifically. Nuño’s award will support research that will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between immigration status and crime, gang involvement, and victimization. These findings will serve as an empirical basis upon which to shape policies and practices targeted at the immigration issue.
While politicians and the media often sensationalize the relationship between undocumented immigration and crime, this is an unfounded discourse. Much research has demonstrated a negative relationship between immigrant concentration and higher crime rates--as immigration increases, crime tends to decrease. This project aims to assess the relationship between immigration status and the likelihood of engaging in crime and violent victimization.
The project is in its infancy. However, preliminary analysis of quantitative data indicates that undocumented immigrants are significantly less likely to engage in crime than U.S. citizens. Thus, we are excited to start our interviews with undocumented immigrants to learn and better understand this negative relationship.
Nuño acknowledges, “the most important thing I wish people would take away from this work is that undocumented status does not equal criminality and that someone can be an immigrant and not necessarily be undocumented. I know this last point may sound silly almost. Still, the reality is that most of the public does not understand the different stages of the immigration process and often equates immigrant status to undocumented status, thus associating all immigration with criminality. This misunderstanding is problematic because these erroneous perceptions can lead to negative sentiments, and negative sentiments can take you to the voting booth to support anti-immigrant policies. So accurate information and education are vital in addressing immigration.”
Nuño was initially a psychology major and became interested in criminal justice after taking a course on race, ethnicity, and the criminal justice system. Then, she took more courses and ultimately double majored in psychology and criminal justice, leading to a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice. “An undergraduate experience interviewing persons detained in county jail taught me the importance of research in informing policy. This experience triggered my curiosity and motivated me to pursue graduate school,” she recounts.
During graduate school, Nuño focused her research on policing and gangs. However, immigration has always been one of her interests. Both her master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation focused on undocumented immigrants. Several factors influenced her interest in immigration, but “It is my personal experiences as an immigrant who migrated to the United States as a young adult that have shaped my interests,” Nuño explains.
“Always pursue your interests! Higher education is difficult as it is--do not pursue topics you are not fully committed to learning about. Reach out to faculty! You will be surprised how much we love emails from students. And how much we love to work with students and support them on their projects.”
Nuño was born in the city, Guaymas and grew in a small “ejido” (population ~500) in the state of Sonora in Mexico. She did not move to the U.S. until she was 17 years old. “While I did speak some English, it was not at the required level to enroll in a conventional school, so I went to a continuation school where I was able to take ESL classes.” After graduating high school, she enrolled in a community college and eventually transferred to Arizona State University, where she completed all her higher education. She graduated in 2017 and started teaching at CSUF the same year.
Nuño feels it is important for students to know, “I am an immigrant. My parents have second and third-grade education and do not speak English. I started as a transfer undergraduate student and never intended to go to graduate school. So don’t ever feel like your background or your individual characteristics bound you. You really can pursue whatever it is you are passionate about.”